The present invention broadly relates to a new and improved method and apparatus for temporarily storing printed products or the like arriving in an imbricated formation.
Generally speaking, the present invention relates to a new and improved method for temporarily or intermediately storing printed products arriving in an imbricated formation, wherein the imbricated formation of printed products is wound or coiled into a wound product package or storage coil on a rotatably driven winding mandrel, cylinder or core.
In other words, the method of the present invention is for the intermediate storage of products arriving in an imbricated formation and comprises the steps of winding the imbricated formation up to form a wound product package or coil on a rotatably driven winding core or the like.
In its apparative aspects, the present invention concerns an apparatus for temporarily or intermediately storing printed products arriving in an imbricated formation, the apparatus having a rotatably driven winding mandrel, cylinder or core and a conveying arrangement for feeding printed products arriving in an imbricated formation to the winding mandrel, cylinder or core or to the wound product package or storage coil forming thereon.
In other words, the apparatus of the present invention is for the intermediate storage of printed products arriving in an imbricated formation and having a rotatably driven winding core and a conveying arrangement for feeding the imbricatdd product formation to either the winding core or the wound product package or coil forming thereupon.
It is known to the art that printed products arriving in an imbricated formation for temporary storage can be wound together with a winding band or strap onto a revolvingly driven or rotating winding core. This prior art is, for example, described in Swiss Pat. No. 559,691, granted Jan. 31, 1975, and German Patent Publication No. 3,123,888, published May 13, 1982 and which is cognate with the U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,618, granted March 27, 1984. The printed products, with their flat sides lying or resting substantially horizontally on a conveyor belt, are fed by this conveyor belt to the winding core. The axis of rotation of this winding core is oriented substantially horizontally. The infeed of the imbricated formation of printed products can either be to the upper portion or to the lower portion of the winding core.
In order to achieve a compact storage coil or wound product package with large storage capacity, i.e. inter alia a storage coil of large diameter, it is necessary that the printed products be fed to the winding core or the wound product package formed thereon such that the forward or leading edge of the printed products is directed towards or facing the winding core, or is facing the respective outermost winding or layer of the wound product package. Furthermore, the winding band or strap must be wound or coiled under a certain tension or tensile stress in order to cause a tightening or pulling together of the windings or layers of the storage coil during the winding process or procedure. This is indispensable for the formation of a compact wound product package or storage coil. In spite of all of these measures, the storage capacity of such storage coils formed in this known manner is limited.